1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to hanging shelves suspended from a webbing, and in particular, the present invention relates to hanging shelves wherein the manner in which the shelf and the webbing are attached is concealed from view.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hanging shelves suspended from a support directly overhead are useful as space-savers. They do not need floor space as conventional storage devices such as bookshelves. Hanging shelves also may be used away from walls, giving the user a further flexibility that is not found in the typical shelving arrangement which is usually directly attached to a wall. Further, a hanging shelf suspendible from an overhead support gives a room an added dimension when such items as house plants are placed on display on the shelves.
In the prior art, many different shelving arrangements have been proposed. For example, the Andreen U.S. Pat. No. Des. 30,064 shows a hanging shelf arrangement in which the shelves are supported by and spaced vertically from each other by projecting arms projecting from four vertical rods and a center support rod. This type of shelving arrangement is limited because the vertical spacing between the shelves is fixed. Further, this type of shelving would not be aesthetically pleasing in current room decorating themes.
The Slaboden U.S. Pat. No. Des. 230,797 shows a wall shelving arrangement in which the shelves are supported from a flexible belt, the shelves having projections that fit within slots within the belt. Although there is some capability in varying the vertical spacing between the shelves, the spacing is still limited to the existing slots found in the flexible belt. Also, the manner in which the shelves are attached to the belt is in full view which detracts from the aesthetic quality of the shelving arrangement.
The Marks U.S. Pat. No. 2,639,819 teaches a shelving device where the shelves are suspended from each other by rods and enclosed within a thin flexible wall. This device has several shortcomings. First, if the thin flexible wall were to be removed, the shelving arrangement would have little in the way of aesthetics for use as a decorative room shelving arrangement. Second, the vertical spacing between the shelves is set by the length of the rods. Third, the manner in which the shelves are attached to the rods is in full view, which detracts from the aesthetic view point.
The Bratton U.S. Pat. No. Des. 247,695 shows a shelving arrangement which uses an apparently flexible belt to support the shelf. This arrangement has the disadvantage that once the hanging shelves are assembled, the vertical spacing for all practical purposes cannot be changed since the shelves are in some manner fixedly attached to the belt, either by some adhesive or by some type of fastener which punctures the belt leaving a hole in it. Once the belt is punctured and the user wants a different vertical spacing, the punctures in the belt will be in full view.